Running Head: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Community Problem Report: Domestic Violence

The University of Texas at El Paso
ENGL 1301
March 28, 2016
Karen Flores

Abstract
Domestic violence has being a big problem around the world for many years. Domestic
violence is a problem that affect many families all around the world, and seems to be
rising as days pass. This abuse is most commonly acted by men to their family
members specially their partner. Domestic violence consists mostly on physical abuse,
mental abuse, emotional abuse, sexual assault, and economic control. This abuse
affects the victim mentally and physically, leading to depression, and having social
issues. Victims seem to get blinded to what they believe is love and often begin to
believe that they are guilty and that they actually provoke their partners to abuse them
and makes it more difficult for the victims to realize they need help.

Introduction
In 1992, the American Medical Association reported that as many as 1 in 3
women will be assaulted by a domestic partner in her lifetime 4 million in any given year.
Race, age, culture, religion, gender, or sexual orientation doesnt matter when it comes
to domestic violence. Domestic violence abuse includes physical and sexual violence,
threats and intimidation, emotional abuse, and economic control between partners. It
may seem easy for other people to say that the victims are in that relationship because
they want to and because they like it. When in reality victims can be blinded with fear,
or they may be threaten by their partner. There are many cases when the violence and
abuses come after a separation or a divorce. This report would talk about the impact it
makes on victims, it would provide some statistics, the consequences for the abusers
and victims, and also it would provide information of where victims can get help.
The affected
Victims of Domestic violence are not the only ones being affected by the issue.
Domestic Violence impacts victims on their workplace by not allowing them to
concentrate and lack their abilities, it also can make it harder for them to remember due
dates, and meetings as a result of psychological abuse. It can also affect the abusers
performance and making them less productive or make them miss work or tardiness
because of their violent behavior and/or legal procedures. Even though it may not be
easy to see it right away children can be left with social and emotional problems even if
they are not being abused directly.

Investigators have studied that most children who suffer from domestic violence
are more likely to become abusive to their partners and their own children. Studies
show that 3-4 million children between the ages of 3-17 are at risk of exposure to
Figure 1. An image of the after
math on physical abuse on a child.

domestic violence each year. U.S.

government statistics say that 95% of
domestic violence cases involve women
victims of male partners (Putnam Adult,
2004).
Children who grow up in this
environment have a bigger possibility to have
low self-esteem, loss of trust, and increase the
amount of anger and fear they may have

towards their parents or with others. Because the mothers time can be consumed on
finding ways to survive, they may not always be present for their child, and also they
experience the absence of the father because they are being more concentrated on
controlling everyone. Children who are victims of the abuse are often looking for
attention and approval from anyone. This can result on their children feeling physically,
mentally, and emotional abandoned. Some children suffer from injuries when trying to
prevent their father from hitting their mothers or siblings. This issue also affects their
performance in their education by not allowing them to concentrate as well and always
being absence either physically or mentally, they can sometimes even use violence
towards their peers, teachers, and their family members or even become self-injuring.

As they grow up they believe that the only way to resolve their problems and conflict is
with violence.
Domestic Violence Statistics
Recent studies show that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have been victims of
physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime. When talking about
domestic violence victims it doesnt specifically targets women. Men are also victims
and are affected with this abuse, but are less likely to report it because they dont want
to feel like they are not being a macho. 45.4% of female rape victims and 29% of male
rape victims were raped by an intimate partner. In most cultures male victims are not
known as often as women victims because
males are characterized as physically
Figure 2. Percentage of women and
men reported abuses by intimate
partners.

stronger than females. This is why not

always the statistics show the reality of the
facts and consequentially the problem
cannot be solved properly.
Victims are often blinded by fear

that doesnt allow them to leave their partner due to the possibility of getting abused not
only on the process of the separation but after the divorce. Over 70% of the women
injured in domestic violence cases are injured after separation. Normally women with
low self-esteem are more likely to stay in this kind of relationships because they believe
that no one else would notice them or because they believe that they are doing
something wrong and that is why their partner is abusing them. Even though there are
more cases known of families with lower income, this situation is not necessarily

targeted to them this might happen to anyone no matter their race, gender, age, income,
culture, and religion. The famous singer Rihanna is a perfect example of this saying
when in 2013 she was being abused by her partner Chris Brown.
Consequences of Domestic Violence
Domestic Violence has a huge mental effect on the victim. Their Mental Health
Status says Violence against women is one of the major mental health and human
rights problem in the world today. Domestic violence can affect mental health in many
ways. One of the biggest effect it has it that it makes victims believe that being hit or
abuse is ok, because they believe is a sign of love. In most cases after they have being
abused their partner justification is that they did it because they love them and they
make the victim feel like they did something wrong and that they deserved it. This
happens so often on the victims life that they begin to believe that is a normal lifestyle
and/or they start defending their partners and telling others that they deserved it
because they provoked them.
After living in that abusive environment for a long period of time they start to and
lose hope on getting out of the situation because they begin to believe that all men are
the same and that everyone would abuse them and beat them. Due to this state of mind
victims tend to change their sexual preferences believing that not everyone is the same,
but what they dont realize is that not only men are the abusive ones everyone can
become a violent person at any time no matter if they are male of females. Another
consequence this issue has is that victims can go into depression and start having
social issues. This social issues prevents them from talking to anyone and as a
consequence they often keep their problems to themselves and they dont have the

courage to seek out for help. Some victims try to use drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or begin
to abuse of a substance believing this will help them release their stress and anxiety
when in reality this only leads to greater problems.
Getting Help
Getting out of an abusive relationship may seem difficult but its not impossible.
Technology nowadays makes it a lot easier for victims to look up websites or information
on this matter and can make it easier for victims to get informed. One of the biggest and
most difficult step on the process of getting help is admitting you have a problem and
realizing that you need help. There are many websites on the internet which are created
for anyone to have access to them some of this websites are listed in the reference
section. National Domestic Violence Hotline provides many information about the matter
such as statistics, shelters, phone numbers, advices and many more helpful
information. This website also provides a set of questions for the victims in order to help
them realize if they need help and what information would be better to have in hand in
case the situation gets out of hand.
Getting help is not limited to those who dont have internet access. Nowadays
this issue has become so big and strong that there are plenty of ways to get help
everywhere you go. There are many shelters around the country for the victims to go
and get help and in order to prevent victims from being found by their abuser this places
sometimes limit their information and even hide their address and location. There are
also many inspirational speakers that go in to schools to talk to students and staff about
this issue and provide them with information and even if some people think this is not
making having any positive effect on anyone there are actually many victims that seek

our for help from this presentations and allows them to have confidence and overcome
their fear in order to talk to either the presenter or a teacher about their situation.
Conclusion
Domestic Violence can affect someone in many ways. Even though there are
most cases when the women is the victim and the male the abuser the issue is not
really only targeted on them. Everyone can be exposed to suffer from any type of abuse
no matter their gender, age, race, culture, or religion. Domestic violence can be
prevented in many ways and there are also many ways to get out on this type of
environments but its up to the victim to accept they need help and actually stop
protecting someone they believe loves them.

References
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Figure 1. Retrieved from https://s-media-cacheak0.pinimg.com/236x/9c/5e/bd/9c5ebd70be9ac9bac8ab5103c7093244.jpg

Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln (2008) Domestic Violence Roundtable. Retrieved

March 30, 2016 from http://www.domesticviolenceroundtable.org/effect-on-children.html
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Figure 2. Sarah, Kliff (September 16, 2014) 9 facts about violence against
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http://www.vox.com/2014/5/25/5748610/eight-facts-about-violence-against-womeneveryone-should-know

Pocklington, R. (2014). Chris Brown insists hell always be friends with Rihanna
and they have a great understanding. Retrieved from
http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/chris-brown-insists-hell-always-4284514

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from http://www.casfv.org/

El Paso County and District Attorneys (2011). Dont let yourself. Retrieved from
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Unknown (2016, March 17). Domestic Violence. Retrieved from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_violence

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